


Sticks and Stones

by HiddenTreasures



Series: Family Unit [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Kid!Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-24 02:47:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7490214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenTreasures/pseuds/HiddenTreasures
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James and Rose teach their two daughters a very important lesson about what it means to be a family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sticks and Stones

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place about seven years after the events of 'Making it Official'.

James and Rose were snuggled on the couch, flipping through a new parents’ magazine and laughing at the absurd advice while pitching potential baby names, as their two daughters watched a nature show on the BBC. Well, Dottie was watching the nature show. Her older sister Mattie was nose deep in her novel of the week.

James was only listening with one ear to the show and to his girls; most of his attentions were on his wife of six years, and on the growing bump beneath his palm.

“Is that where babies come from?”

James blinked when he heard the question from his youngest. He’d thought it a dramatized cliché, about children wanting to know where babies came from, but little Dottie blew that theory out of the water.

“What do you mean, darling?” he asked.

Dottie nodded to the TV where David Attenborough was narrating the fertilization process of flowering plants. He heard Rose snort as they watched a sprinkle of pollen fall off of a bee and onto the flower’s stigma.

Dottie was still looking at them curiously, and James could see Mattie’s knowing smirk from behind the worn copy of _Pride and Prejudice_.

“D’you want to take this one?” Rose teased, giving his knee a pat.

James floundered for an answer for a minute, all the while Dottie was looking up at him in expectation, before saying, “Well, humans aren’t like flowers, darling, so there are a few differences. But the main point is still the same: a boy plant has the parts that will fertilize the girl plant, and once that happens, new baby plants can grow.”

“Is that what you did to Mummy?”

James nearly choked on his tongue and he felt his cheeks warm as he heard the stifled giggles of his wife and eldest. He glared at his wife, feeling slightly offended that she had left him to explain this alone when he was certain that she was also present during their growing baby’s fertilization. But she flashed him that tongue-touched smile that always made him weak in the knees, and he very nearly forgot his train of thought, until Dottie asked her question again, thinking he hadn’t heard her.

“Well…” He scrubbed at the back of his neck, wondering how much information he could give to his five-year-old. “Sort of, yeah. Mummies and Daddies have complementary parts—parts that go well together—and sometimes when Mummies and Daddies want another baby, they put those parts together and sometimes a baby is made.”

“Oh,” Dottie said, her little brow furrowing. “So how’d that work with Mattie then?”

Everyone in the room froze.

“What do you mean, darling?” James asked carefully, seeing from the corner of his eye how stiff Mattie had gotten.

“Well you aren’t her real Daddy,” Dottie said bluntly, and James’s heart dropped into his belly.

Mattie set her book aside and stood silently. She walked stiffly past her family, ignoring both James’s and Rose’s calls for her, before they heard the soft _snick_ of her bedroom door closing. Nobody spoke for several moments, and James could hear his heart rushing in his ears.

“Dorothy Jane Tyler,” James said quietly, and Dottie shrank away from the coolness in his voice. “I don’t ever want to hear that from your mouth ever again. Do you understand me?”

Dottie’s eyes watered and she looked at her mother in confusion. James stood up from the sofa to follow his upset thirteen-year-old, trusting Rose to talk to Dottie in the meantime. He felt numb as he made the short walk to his daughter’s bedroom.

“Mattie, darling?” he whispered as he knocked on the door. The door wasn’t latched, and it creaked open slightly upon the tapping of his knuckles. “Can I come in?”

A muffled sniffle was the reply, and he crept fully into the room. Mattie was curled up on her bed on her side, hugging her pillow to her chest, as tears silently streaked down her face.

“Oh, Mattie,” he whispered. He walked to her and sat at the head of her bed. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. You know she didn’t mean it. She didn’t know. I’m so sorry. C’mere, darling. C’mere.”

He stroked his fingers through her hair as he whispered softly to her. She finally sat up and immediately curled herself into his waiting embrace.

“Daddy,” she whimpered, her voice clogged with tears.

“I’m here, darling,” he whispered, tucking her head under his chin. “I’m here. My Mattie.”

He held her as she cried, tightening his arms around her when he felt her body trembling in distress.

“How did Dottie even know?” she sobbed. “Is it that obvious that I’m not yours?”

“Hey,” James said firmly, tilting his daughter’s chin up to look at her. He swiped his thumb at the wetness under her eye, smearing the mascara she’d recently begun experimenting with. “Don’t you say that. I am your father, and you are my daughter.”

“But…”

“But nothing,” he said, interrupting her gently. “Biology doesn’t make a family. You know I love you completely, unconditionally, and irrevocably because you are _my daughter_.”

Mattie didn’t look convinced. If anything, she started crying harder again. James held her tighter as he wracked his brain on what to say to make his little girl feel better. He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, and he suddenly got an idea. He rifled through his pockets for his mobile, quickly dismissing the incoming call from a number he didn’t recognize before he opened up his photos app and quickly found the folder he wanted.

“Darling, who is this?”

Mattie turned her head to look at his phone, and gave him a raised eyebrow at the person in the photo.

“Humor me for a minute, yeah?” James asked. “Who is this?”

“Uncle Jack,” she said slowly, as though she believed him barmy.

James scrolled to a new photo.

“And this?” he prompted.

“Auntie Donna and Uncle Lee,” she replied, her voice weary.

“Uh huh, and this?”

He flipped through his phone until she had identified over ten people, and her patience was running thin.

“You aren’t related to any of them,” he said gently, smoothing her hair behind her ears. “Nor am I, for that matter. So why do you call them uncle or aunt or grandpa? Hmm?”

“Because they’re family?” Mattie said unsurely.

“Yes. Because they’re _family_. Family isn’t all about genetics, or biology, or the useless lump whose only positive attribute was giving your mother and me you.”

More tears trickled down Mattie’s cheeks as she tucked up against her father once more. She mindlessly scrolled through his family photos, until she paused at on old photo she’d never seen before.

“Ahh, that’s one of my favorites,” he whispered, smiling down at the photo of himself and Mattie lying together on a sofa, both fast asleep. Mattie had been no older than four when the photo was taken. She was still rather small for her age, and was lying on James’s chest with her arms slung around his chest and her face tucked into his neck. “Even though this is well before I officially adopted you, I already loved you so much, and knew I would be forever yours. And I am so proud and honored to be your dad, Mattie, don’t ever forget or doubt it.”

Mattie set the phone aside to more completely embrace her father.

“Thanks, Dad.”

He held her for a few more minutes, before he broke their silence by asking, “Want to go back out with me?”

Mattie shrugged her shoulders as she said, “I’m kind of tired.”

James stood with a sigh, and he leaned down to press his lips to Mattie’s forehead.

“All right, darling,” he whispered. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

He quietly exited her room, pulling the door shut behind him. As he walked closer to the living room, he noticed it was empty, and he then became aware of the smell of chocolate wafting from the kitchen. He poked his head around the corner, and saw Dottie sitting on the counter licking batter off her fingers as Rose hand-washed a few bowls and a wooden spoon.

“Hey,” he said in greeting.

Rose glanced back at him, her face pinched in anxiety, and hastily dried her hands before walking past him towards Mattie’s room. James turned towards his youngest child, whose face was crumpled in distress.

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she whimpered. “I didn’t mean to make Mattie sad and I didn’t mean to make you cross.”

“I know, darling,” he whispered, walking up to her. He ran a damp cloth across her face and sticky fingers before he opened his arms for his daughter. She wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him as she continued to wail apologies into his ear.

“Shh, Dottie, shh,” he murmured, rocking her slowly as he rubbed her back. “I’m sorry I yelled at you like that. But did Mummy tell you why Mattie and I were so upset?”

“Uh huh.”

“Okay, and do you promise to never, ever say those words again?” he asked, pulling back and encouraging her to look in his eyes. “Because Mattie is my daughter, too, just as much as you are, and nothing will ever change that. I love you both very, very much.”

“I love you, too, Daddy. And I promise.”

“Good girl,” he said, pressing his lips to her forehead. “Now, what are we making in here, eh? Smells yummy!”

“Chocolate chip muffins!” Dottie said excitedly. “They’re Mattie’s favorite. Only, we didn’t have bananas to make banana chocolate chip… D’you think she’ll like them?”

Dottie trailed off uncertainly, as though worried that her big sister wouldn’t like the muffins unless there were bananas in them.

James trailed his fingers through Dottie’s dark brown hair as he whispered. “I think she’ll love them, darling.”

They passed the twenty-minute wait at the kitchen table, playing several rounds of _Go Fish_. Finally, the oven beeped. Rose was still with Mattie, and so James took the muffins out of the oven. It was clear that a five-year-old had made these. They were lumpy and some had far too many chocolate chips in them, but James knew from experience that they would still taste the same as if an adult had made them.

“They look wonderful!” James said brightly. “Let’s let them cool for a few minutes, then we can go give one to Mattie.”

Dottie was more impatient this time around, wanting to go to her sister and apologize with a muffin. Finally, her father deemed them cool enough and together they walked to Mattie’s room, with Dottie carrying Mattie’s muffin and James popping the last bite of his muffing into his mouth. The door was ajar when they reached it, and James told Dottie to knock first anyway.

“Mattie?” she asked softly, rapping her little knuckles against the door.

A beat passed before they heard the thirteen year old say, “Yeah, come in.”

Dottie pushed open the door and tentatively walked into the room. James’s heart broken when he saw Mattie’s and Rose’s red, puffy eyes. They were both seated on her bed with their backs propped against the wall, and Mattie was curled up against Rose as tightly as she could be. Rose’s cheek was propped on her daughter’s hair as she stroked Mattie’s back softly. James wanted nothing more than to pick up his three favorite girls and hold them close.

“I made you a muffin,” Dottie whispered, her voice trembling. The hand holding the peace offering was outstretched towards her sister. “I’m so sorry, Mattie! I didn’t mean to make you sad! I’m sorry!”

Mattie took a deep breath before plastering on a smile that James could tell was a little forced. She moved away from Rose and perched herself on the edge of her bed to receive the muffin.

“Did you make that all by yourself?” she asked, staring at the lumpy muffin.

“Uh huh,” Dottie said proudly. “Well, Mummy and Daddy helped a little with the oven. M’not supposed to touch it.”

“Quite right,” Mattie said. “Can’t have you burning yourself. This muffin looks delicious Dot. Thank you.”

“I’m sorry,” Dottie mumbled again.

Mattie inhaled deeply as she closed her eyes.

“I know,” she finally whispered. “I know. C’mere.”

Mattie opened her arms for her little sister, and Dottie immediately ran into them. James watched with an aching throat as his two daughters comforted each other, and a quick glance at his wife told him she was just as proud of their girls.

“Hmmm, this looks far too big to eat by myself,” Mattie mused as she pulled away from Dottie. “Want to share?”

Dottie nodded. Mattie stood up from her bed as Dottie ran out of the room. James pressed his lips to his eldest daughter’s temples when she passed, before he turned to Rose, who had already clambered off the bed. He opened his arms for his wife, and sighed heavily when she walked into his arms. Rose rested her head against his shoulder as she wrapped her arms loosely around his waist.

“Well,” she said tightly. “That went as well as it could’ve.”

James sighed and pressed his lips to her hair.

“What a night,” he mumbled. “How did Dottie even know that Mattie isn’t biologically my daughter? It’s not like we advertise that fact.”

“Apparently, when my mum was babysitting the other week, Dottie went exploring and happened upon Mattie’s original birth certificate, and noticed that there was no name for a father on Mattie’s as there was on her own,” Rose said. “So she asked my mum about it, and Mum must’ve told her.”

“Oh, I could murder your mum,” James groaned, feeling a flash of irritation and resentment towards the woman. He knew Jackie probably hadn’t been as tactful with the information as James would have liked.

“Let me take care of it, yeah?” she asked, pulling back to look at him.

James rolled his eyes, but nodded.

“I love you,” he murmured, peppering soft kisses across her forehead. “All of you. My precious girls.”

“I love you, too,” Rose said.

She curled her hand around the back of his neck and tugged him down to catch his lips between hers. They sighed into the kiss as James started suckling on her bottom lip. Rose scraped her nails against his scalp, delighting in his shiver of pleasure, but before the kiss could progress any further, Mattie poked her head into the doorway.

“I thank you not to snog in my bedroom, ta!”

Mattie waggled her eyebrows at them as they broke apart, their cheeks reddening.

“I suppose she’s got a point,” Rose mused, taking a step away from her husband. “C’mon. I can’t believe you didn’t bring the pregnant woman a chocolate chip muffin. How rude.”

“Well, we can’t have that. Come on, to the kitchen with you.”

They made a quick detour to the kitchen for a muffin before walking back into their living room. Mattie was curled up on the recliner with her book in her lap as Dottie sat in front of the television, now listening to David Attenborough’s narration of various sea creatures’ habitats. If they hadn’t known better, they would’ve thought the last sixty minutes were all an elaborate dream.

They sat together on the sofa and their eyes flickered between Mattie and Dottie and back again, wondering if this delicate stalemate would come crashing down around them. But alas, Mattie kept reading and Dottie kept _oohing_ and _ahhing_ at the TV. James tugged Rose closer to his side, their magazine long since forgotten, and the night descended upon the little family as though nothing had ever been amiss.

 


End file.
